- 14 Mar 2002
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"Japan's most recognizable contribution to the 20th century"...
A Uniquely Japanese Invention
Instant noodles are nothing new in Asia. They were commercially introduced to the world in Japan in 1958 by Momofuku Ando, now chairman of conglomerate Nissin Foods.
Inspired by the shelf life of Japanese tempura, or deep-fried food, Ando invented a production line that included a special one-and-a-half-minute quick-frying process. This was used to produce noodles that could be stored for six months at room temperature. Preparing a meal was a snap: Place the dehydrated noodles in boiling water for 2-3 minutes and add a flavour packet. At the time, instant noodles were seen as an easy-to-make food to feed Japan's post-war masses. Each instant-noodle package packs about 450 calories, about a quarter to a fifth of a person's daily calorific needs. (Nutritionally, however, instant noodles may fall short: They tend to be low in vitamins and minerals and high in sodium and fat.)
They weren't cheap. Instant noodles took a while to catch on because they were considered expensive by the prices of the time. Now, according to a survey by the Fuji Research Institute, instant noodles rank as one of Japan's most recognizable contributions to the 20th century, alongside karaoke, Pokemon and the Walkman.
=> http://www.feer.com/articles/2003/0301_09/p043money.html
Nissin Food Products
=> http://www.japanreference.com/cgi-bin/jump.cgi?ID=556
Getting terribly hungry...
A Uniquely Japanese Invention
Instant noodles are nothing new in Asia. They were commercially introduced to the world in Japan in 1958 by Momofuku Ando, now chairman of conglomerate Nissin Foods.
Inspired by the shelf life of Japanese tempura, or deep-fried food, Ando invented a production line that included a special one-and-a-half-minute quick-frying process. This was used to produce noodles that could be stored for six months at room temperature. Preparing a meal was a snap: Place the dehydrated noodles in boiling water for 2-3 minutes and add a flavour packet. At the time, instant noodles were seen as an easy-to-make food to feed Japan's post-war masses. Each instant-noodle package packs about 450 calories, about a quarter to a fifth of a person's daily calorific needs. (Nutritionally, however, instant noodles may fall short: They tend to be low in vitamins and minerals and high in sodium and fat.)
They weren't cheap. Instant noodles took a while to catch on because they were considered expensive by the prices of the time. Now, according to a survey by the Fuji Research Institute, instant noodles rank as one of Japan's most recognizable contributions to the 20th century, alongside karaoke, Pokemon and the Walkman.
=> http://www.feer.com/articles/2003/0301_09/p043money.html
Nissin Food Products
=> http://www.japanreference.com/cgi-bin/jump.cgi?ID=556
Getting terribly hungry...
